Health Recipes

  Eating to Compliment and Replenish Deficient Yin/Yang

A credit to the artist, Jim Thompson

This post is going to challenge some of the newer ideas about food that, I, myself have been a part of, and have promoted, and still continue to do. By no means is this post going to discourage certain food types, instead if will encourage you to think for yourself, listen to your body and the signs it is trying to portray to you, increasing your own awareness, which is only a good thing right?

In brief, I will go over what Yin/Yang is. Yin and Yang are the energies that drive the earth and helped to create it. Yin is sometimes seen as the feminine, the dark and alluring, the cold, or the shady side of the mountain, it is associated with the earth. Where as Yang is the masculine, the energetic, the go-getting, confidence, or the sunny side of the mountain, it is associated with the sun. These energies cannot exist apart from one another and are interchanging, connecting, complimenting and consuming each other at any given moment. Think of day, yang, and night, yin, there would be no night without day, and no day without night, how could we name either of them or even hold a concept of day/night if the other did not exist.

As human beings, we have both aspects of these energies operating within our body at all times, however one tends to dominate. When we are out of balance we may develop illness, or certain unpleasant characteristics of either type of energy.

When we are healthy most of us a fairly balanced, but here are some very general guidelines to try and help you determine whether or not you have a certain imbalance.

TOO MUCH YING

Cold to the touch, easily chilled

Lacking energy

Slow metabolism digestion

Retaining more fluid, sinus issues

Prone to dperession

Anxious   

Shy, quiet, submissive

Unable to give to self, always thinking of others  

TOO MUCH YANG

Generally warm, prone to fevers

Energetic leading to anger or hyperactivity

Fast metabolism

Easily irritated

Red face, dry skin

Prone to mania

Over-dominant

Here is where I am going to tell you to think about your diet. Raw vegetable food diets are all the craze lately and I can see why. Yes uncooked foods hold a lot of nutrients, but think about. If you have overactive yin and not enough yang, how is your system going to get digest and adsorb those nutrients if you have less heat/digestive fire to extract them? And if you are over Yang, how is eating hot meat, a yang food going to calm your aggression?

If we are young, fairly balance and healthy by all means consuming a raw food diet is going to be a very wise, and healthy choice. But if you have a tendency to lean towards more yin, like myself, perhaps its better to think about adding more heat and yang energy to your diet. You will find by adding more yang, you will also increase your metabolism and ability to digest food quickly and healthily. This means while consuming raw vegetables most of the time is completely fine, make sure to add some yang elements to your meals as well. Have some warm soup, some spices, add some cooked eggs or even steam the vegetables a little. While vegetables are predominately yin, cooking them even a little increases their yang.

Here is a very basic list to get you started off with

EAT TO INCREASE YIN

White Processed Breads 

Pastas and Pastries

Tomato, Potato, Eggplant, Grapefruit, Banana, Pineapple, Peppers, Spinach

Honey, Maple Syrup

Cashews, 

Soft Cheeses, Cream, Yogurt, Butter

Beans such as Lentils, Black Beans, Chickpeas

Cucumber, Celery, Sprouts, Peas, Green Beans, Summer Squash, Mushrooms

Whole Grain Noodles

Tofu

Beets, Apples, Pears, Peaches, Plums, Strawberries, Canteloupe, Apricots, Watermelon Grapes, Oranges, Tangerines, Lemons, Almonds, Walnuts, Rice Syrup, Barley Malt

Raw, cold foods 

EAT TO INCREASE YANG 

Poultry

Shellfish

Red Meat Fish such as Tuna, Salmon, Swordfish

White meat fish such as Flounder, Bass, Trout 

Whole Grain Flour baked in Bread or Chips

Sea Salt

Miso, Soy Sauce 

Cooked Foods

 

I hope this introductory post on eating for your energy deficiency is helpful, and will lead you to look deeper into your diet, and your intuition.

 

 

Food, Sunlight, Qi, Energy

Enjoy some healthy food.

Choose food that grows with the energy from the sun.

That energy goes into you.

That energy revitalizes, moves, and unblocks your Qi. 

Choose raw whenever possible.

 Retain nutrients and energy.

Adsorb nutrients and energy into you.

COUS COUS SALAD

 

Sunlight percentage: 95%

VEGAN

Cous Cous

Corn

Spinach

Red Onion

Pecans

Zuchinni

Eggplant

Sweet Potato 

QUESADILLAS

 

Sunlight Percentage: 60%

VEGAN

Raw Tomatoe

Avocado

Cooked Beans

Corn

Lightly cooked Mushrooms

Vegan Cheese  

CHICKPEA SALAD

 

Sunlight Percentage: 100%

100% Raw

VEGAN

Tomato

Chickpeas 

DRESSING:

Mint,

Parsley

Garlic

Houmus

Macadamias

Basil

FAUX CHICKEN + LEEK PIE

Sunlight Percentage: 30%

VEGETARIAN

Leek

Mushroom

Parsely

Fake Chicken

SPINACH GNOCCHI (DAIRY FREE)

Sunlight Percentage: 30%

VEGETARIAN

Made with Spinach and Vegan Cream Cheese  

TUNA SALAD

Sunlight Percentage: 80%

80% RAW

Tomato

Tuna

Carrot

Avocado

CABBAGE SALAD

Sunlight Percentage: 100%

100% RAW

VEGAN

Spinach

Adzuki Beans

Red Onion

Spinach

Avocado

Purple Cabbage

MUSHROOM STROGANOFF

Sunlight Percentage: 70%

VEGAN

Raw Purple Cabbage

Onion

Mushroom

SAUCE

Coconut Oil

Coconut Milk

Tomato Paste

Olive Wraps + Tofu Eggless Salad

OLIVE WRAPS

Chives

Olives

Caramelized Onion

Baked red capsicum

Kalamata olives

 Vegan Cheese (Although I cheated and used mozzarella) 

1.Bake small diced capsicum (bake with a good cooking oil and place over and herbs 
and spices or slat and pepper you desire. 

2. Cook your onion in classic nuttelex and good cooking oil till they are soft and golden

3.Have your gluten free wraps ready (but be careful because they break easily), 
lather on the avocado and add the rest of the ingredients 

4. Bake the crap out of them then munch them all up

TOFU EGGLESS SALAD

Dijon Mustard

Snow Pea Sprouts

Carrot

Tofu

Vegan Mayonnaise

Salt + Pepper

Onion

1. This is really simple, chuck all the ingredients in a bowl then enjoy them. 
This salad tasted absolutely divine, go on and try it. 

PATTY SALAD SALAD

See previous post for the patties

Patties

Avocado

purple carrot

Sprouts

Spinach

prunes, miso, tamari, lime, olive oil, sesame oil, ginger

RAW NOODLES 

For the sauce:

Prunes

Gluten-free noodles (vegan friendly is best ;)

Sesame Oil

Olive Oil

Stable cooking oil

Miso

Tamari (salt-reduced soy)

For the contents:

Capsicum

Onion

Carrot

Zucchini

Carrot

Shiitake

Cucumber

Bean sprouts (some crunchy ones!)

1. After adding all the ingredients for the sauce into a large bowl, blend until smooth and creamy (this sauce is freaking amazing by the way, I was stunned)

2. Fry up some veggies but remember the less cooked the better! 

3. Fry up some veggies but remember the less cooked the better!

 

4.Add your sauce and you are good to go. (Yum!)

Sunlight Juice

“I am capable confident, intelligent, resilient and in charge. Health and happiness are my birthrights, and I accept with gratitude”

-Kris Carr’s Affirmation for day one

Mood: Happy

Motivation: Good

Productivity level: Medium

The Adventure Cleanse beings, and me route to happiness unfolds. Did you know that when you wake up in the morning your body needs a little time to start the digestive system? Therefore every morning, it’s a good idea to  drink some hot water to get the ball rolling. Your breakfast will digest easier if you allow it time to heat up. Meal preparation is important, as is packing your bag with snacks, drinks, and juice. This way it’s a lot less tempting to stray from your diet when you are hungry. Packing snacks helps me to refrain from resorting to bought food that belongs in the bin instead of my tummy.I awoke bright and early to make sure I had all my meals prepared for work, made my morning juice, took my supplements and headed out for a beautiful day.

BREAKFAST

Started with a cup of hot water, added a dash of lemon, and a pinch of chili pepper (to getmy tummy churning). Second, I drank a cup for jasmine and green tea.I then proceeded onto my morning juice when I felt hungry.

My veggie juice preparation

This consists of:

Spinach

Cucumber

Pear

Celery

Broccoli Stems

I know it looks almost unnatural, my house-mate screwed her face up in disgust. But I think it’s sad we look at a glass full of vitamins, minerals, fiber and natural sustenance as unnatural to eat or digest, testament to the fact this world is insane. It was a little hard to get through the first glass, I’ll admit that I gagged on the first sip, but after that, it went down pretty easy. I was full right up till lunch, and boy, was my belly in a good mood, it was tingling and buzzing most of the day.

SNACK

Can’t beat the classic nuts. I took a handful to work with me. 

LUNCH + DINNER

For lunch and dinner I mixed up my own version of the recipe provided by rawchef.com for Kris Carr’s book called the Woodstock Peace Salad. I made enough for lunch and dinner.The salad was beautiful, a true taste sensation.

SATISFACTION LEVEL

I will admit, I did feel a little hungry, but the pang was a good one (if you know what I 

mean), a sign of my body starting to clean itself out.

EXERCISE

Sure did get around to it today! I enjoyed an hour of yoga. I really focused on my body during the session today and found myself folding deeper than I ever had before. If I could rate my current mastery of yoga out of ten at the moment, I think I would settle for a modest 4/10, I’m getting to the stage where my body is reaping the full benefits of the practice. I walk with more bounce in my step, I feel lighter, my movements are graceful, and most of my movements feel great for my body, as opposed to the old tired muscles I used to battle with every day, dreading to get out of bed.

MEDITATION

I enjoyed a lovely ten minute session after Yoga, and felt the Prana (life force energy) rippling up and down my spine.Content and pleasurable.I spent my evening giving love and receiving love with friends and my beautiful housemate, and overall feel pleased with what I achieved today. I took Chris’s advice and tried to chew my food thoroughly ( this makes it easier for the food to digest, and starts your enzymes flowing, surprisingly, it filled me up faster as well)

CONFESSIONS

I ate an Easter-egg, just one! Just one! I gave the rest to my friends so the temptation would no longer be there, sharing is caring!

Weigh in: 81.1 kg’s 

 

Read more »

  Eating to Compliment and Replenish Deficient Yin/Yang

A credit to the artist, Jim Thompson

This post is going to challenge some of the newer ideas about food that, I, myself have been a part of, and have promoted, and still continue to do. By no means is this post going to discourage certain food types, instead if will encourage you to think for yourself, listen to your body and the signs it is trying to portray to you, increasing your own awareness, which is only a good thing right?

In brief, I will go over what Yin/Yang is. Yin and Yang are the energies that drive the earth and helped to create it. Yin is sometimes seen as the feminine, the dark and alluring, the cold, or the shady side of the mountain, it is associated with the earth. Where as Yang is the masculine, the energetic, the go-getting, confidence, or the sunny side of the mountain, it is associated with the sun. These energies cannot exist apart from one another and are interchanging, connecting, complimenting and consuming each other at any given moment. Think of day, yang, and night, yin, there would be no night without day, and no day without night, how could we name either of them or even hold a concept of day/night if the other did not exist.

As human beings, we have both aspects of these energies operating within our body at all times, however one tends to dominate. When we are out of balance we may develop illness, or certain unpleasant characteristics of either type of energy.

When we are healthy most of us a fairly balanced, but here are some very general guidelines to try and help you determine whether or not you have a certain imbalance.

TOO MUCH YING

Cold to the touch, easily chilled

Lacking energy

Slow metabolism digestion

Retaining more fluid, sinus issues

Prone to dperession

Anxious   

Shy, quiet, submissive

Unable to give to self, always thinking of others  

TOO MUCH YANG

Generally warm, prone to fevers

Energetic leading to anger or hyperactivity

Fast metabolism

Easily irritated

Red face, dry skin

Prone to mania

Over-dominant

Here is where I am going to tell you to think about your diet. Raw vegetable food diets are all the craze lately and I can see why. Yes uncooked foods hold a lot of nutrients, but think about. If you have overactive yin and not enough yang, how is your system going to get digest and adsorb those nutrients if you have less heat/digestive fire to extract them? And if you are over Yang, how is eating hot meat, a yang food going to calm your aggression?

If we are young, fairly balance and healthy by all means consuming a raw food diet is going to be a very wise, and healthy choice. But if you have a tendency to lean towards more yin, like myself, perhaps its better to think about adding more heat and yang energy to your diet. You will find by adding more yang, you will also increase your metabolism and ability to digest food quickly and healthily. This means while consuming raw vegetables most of the time is completely fine, make sure to add some yang elements to your meals as well. Have some warm soup, some spices, add some cooked eggs or even steam the vegetables a little. While vegetables are predominately yin, cooking them even a little increases their yang.

Here is a very basic list to get you started off with

EAT TO INCREASE YIN

White Processed Breads 

Pastas and Pastries

Tomato, Potato, Eggplant, Grapefruit, Banana, Pineapple, Peppers, Spinach

Honey, Maple Syrup

Cashews, 

Soft Cheeses, Cream, Yogurt, Butter

Beans such as Lentils, Black Beans, Chickpeas

Cucumber, Celery, Sprouts, Peas, Green Beans, Summer Squash, Mushrooms

Whole Grain Noodles

Tofu

Beets, Apples, Pears, Peaches, Plums, Strawberries, Canteloupe, Apricots, Watermelon Grapes, Oranges, Tangerines, Lemons, Almonds, Walnuts, Rice Syrup, Barley Malt

Raw, cold foods 

EAT TO INCREASE YANG 

Poultry

Shellfish

Red Meat Fish such as Tuna, Salmon, Swordfish

White meat fish such as Flounder, Bass, Trout 

Whole Grain Flour baked in Bread or Chips

Sea Salt

Miso, Soy Sauce 

Cooked Foods

 

I hope this introductory post on eating for your energy deficiency is helpful, and will lead you to look deeper into your diet, and your intuition.

 

 

Food, Sunlight, Qi, Energy

Enjoy some healthy food.

Choose food that grows with the energy from the sun.

That energy goes into you.

That energy revitalizes, moves, and unblocks your Qi. 

Choose raw whenever possible.

 Retain nutrients and energy.

Adsorb nutrients and energy into you.

COUS COUS SALAD

 

Sunlight percentage: 95%

VEGAN

Cous Cous

Corn

Spinach

Red Onion

Pecans

Zuchinni

Eggplant

Sweet Potato 

QUESADILLAS

 

Sunlight Percentage: 60%

VEGAN

Raw Tomatoe

Avocado

Cooked Beans

Corn

Lightly cooked Mushrooms

Vegan Cheese  

CHICKPEA SALAD

 

Sunlight Percentage: 100%

100% Raw

VEGAN

Tomato

Chickpeas 

DRESSING:

Mint,

Parsley

Garlic

Houmus

Macadamias

Basil

FAUX CHICKEN + LEEK PIE

Sunlight Percentage: 30%

VEGETARIAN

Leek

Mushroom

Parsely

Fake Chicken

SPINACH GNOCCHI (DAIRY FREE)

Sunlight Percentage: 30%

VEGETARIAN

Made with Spinach and Vegan Cream Cheese  

TUNA SALAD

Sunlight Percentage: 80%

80% RAW

Tomato

Tuna

Carrot

Avocado

CABBAGE SALAD

Sunlight Percentage: 100%

100% RAW

VEGAN

Spinach

Adzuki Beans

Red Onion

Spinach

Avocado

Purple Cabbage

MUSHROOM STROGANOFF

Sunlight Percentage: 70%

VEGAN

Raw Purple Cabbage

Onion

Mushroom

SAUCE

Coconut Oil

Coconut Milk

Tomato Paste

Olive Wraps + Tofu Eggless Salad

OLIVE WRAPS

Chives

Olives

Caramelized Onion

Baked red capsicum

Kalamata olives

 Vegan Cheese (Although I cheated and used mozzarella) 

1.Bake small diced capsicum (bake with a good cooking oil and place over and herbs 
and spices or slat and pepper you desire. 

2. Cook your onion in classic nuttelex and good cooking oil till they are soft and golden

3.Have your gluten free wraps ready (but be careful because they break easily), 
lather on the avocado and add the rest of the ingredients 

4. Bake the crap out of them then munch them all up

TOFU EGGLESS SALAD

Dijon Mustard

Snow Pea Sprouts

Carrot

Tofu

Vegan Mayonnaise

Salt + Pepper

Onion

1. This is really simple, chuck all the ingredients in a bowl then enjoy them. 
This salad tasted absolutely divine, go on and try it. 

PATTY SALAD SALAD

See previous post for the patties

Patties

Avocado

purple carrot

Sprouts

Spinach

prunes, miso, tamari, lime, olive oil, sesame oil, ginger

RAW NOODLES 

For the sauce:

Prunes

Gluten-free noodles (vegan friendly is best ;)

Sesame Oil

Olive Oil

Stable cooking oil

Miso

Tamari (salt-reduced soy)

For the contents:

Capsicum

Onion

Carrot

Zucchini

Carrot

Shiitake

Cucumber

Bean sprouts (some crunchy ones!)

1. After adding all the ingredients for the sauce into a large bowl, blend until smooth and creamy (this sauce is freaking amazing by the way, I was stunned)

2. Fry up some veggies but remember the less cooked the better! 

3. Fry up some veggies but remember the less cooked the better!

 

4.Add your sauce and you are good to go. (Yum!)

Sunlight Juice

“I am capable confident, intelligent, resilient and in charge. Health and happiness are my birthrights, and I accept with gratitude”

-Kris Carr’s Affirmation for day one

Mood: Happy

Motivation: Good

Productivity level: Medium

The Adventure Cleanse beings, and me route to happiness unfolds. Did you know that when you wake up in the morning your body needs a little time to start the digestive system? Therefore every morning, it’s a good idea to  drink some hot water to get the ball rolling. Your breakfast will digest easier if you allow it time to heat up. Meal preparation is important, as is packing your bag with snacks, drinks, and juice. This way it’s a lot less tempting to stray from your diet when you are hungry. Packing snacks helps me to refrain from resorting to bought food that belongs in the bin instead of my tummy.I awoke bright and early to make sure I had all my meals prepared for work, made my morning juice, took my supplements and headed out for a beautiful day.

BREAKFAST

Started with a cup of hot water, added a dash of lemon, and a pinch of chili pepper (to getmy tummy churning). Second, I drank a cup for jasmine and green tea.I then proceeded onto my morning juice when I felt hungry.

My veggie juice preparation

This consists of:

Spinach

Cucumber

Pear

Celery

Broccoli Stems

I know it looks almost unnatural, my house-mate screwed her face up in disgust. But I think it’s sad we look at a glass full of vitamins, minerals, fiber and natural sustenance as unnatural to eat or digest, testament to the fact this world is insane. It was a little hard to get through the first glass, I’ll admit that I gagged on the first sip, but after that, it went down pretty easy. I was full right up till lunch, and boy, was my belly in a good mood, it was tingling and buzzing most of the day.

SNACK

Can’t beat the classic nuts. I took a handful to work with me. 

LUNCH + DINNER

For lunch and dinner I mixed up my own version of the recipe provided by rawchef.com for Kris Carr’s book called the Woodstock Peace Salad. I made enough for lunch and dinner.The salad was beautiful, a true taste sensation.

SATISFACTION LEVEL

I will admit, I did feel a little hungry, but the pang was a good one (if you know what I 

mean), a sign of my body starting to clean itself out.

EXERCISE

Sure did get around to it today! I enjoyed an hour of yoga. I really focused on my body during the session today and found myself folding deeper than I ever had before. If I could rate my current mastery of yoga out of ten at the moment, I think I would settle for a modest 4/10, I’m getting to the stage where my body is reaping the full benefits of the practice. I walk with more bounce in my step, I feel lighter, my movements are graceful, and most of my movements feel great for my body, as opposed to the old tired muscles I used to battle with every day, dreading to get out of bed.

MEDITATION

I enjoyed a lovely ten minute session after Yoga, and felt the Prana (life force energy) rippling up and down my spine.Content and pleasurable.I spent my evening giving love and receiving love with friends and my beautiful housemate, and overall feel pleased with what I achieved today. I took Chris’s advice and tried to chew my food thoroughly ( this makes it easier for the food to digest, and starts your enzymes flowing, surprisingly, it filled me up faster as well)

CONFESSIONS

I ate an Easter-egg, just one! Just one! I gave the rest to my friends so the temptation would no longer be there, sharing is caring!

Weigh in: 81.1 kg’s 

 

Read more »